Improving Early Grade Reading

"Goal 1: Improved reading skills for 100 million children in primary grades by 2015" "Estrellitas del Mañana", in the community of Agua Blanca, Distrito Central, Francisco Morazán, Honduras.

Toby Jorrin

Many primary grade children in low income countries cannot read at grade level. The leading international assessment, Progress in International Reading Literacy Study, indicates that low-income countries perform, on average, at the bottom 20 percent in the world. Since early grade reading competency is essential to success in later grades, children who do not learn to read at an early age will likely make limited educational progress throughout their lives. They will have limited economic and developmental opportunities as a result.

USAID is working to produce meaningful, measurable improvement in student reading for the largest possible number of children through support for programs that:

Improve teaching techniques and learning materials

Support regular assessments in partner countries to measure reading skills

Maximize instruction time spent on basic skills in the classroom, especially reading

Support instruction in native languages in early grades

Promote parental and community involvement in early grade reading

By 2015, USAID aims to improve the reading skill of 100 million primary grade children.